Cat Clifford: The Vashon, Wash., artist is multitalented: She makes drawings and installations and is a performer as well. What do these disciplines have in common? Gately writes that Clifford's work, like Attoe's, "resonate with a sense of fleeting romanticism ... a reverence for the American pioneer dream."

Jeffrey Mitchell: The Seattle artist is the senior artist of the five, and the most established. A dexterous artist who moves often and successfully between ceramic sculptures and works on paper, Mitchell incorporates everything from Asian art to pop culture to traditional Western art historical influences. He's represented in Portland by Pulliam Deffenbaugh Gallery, where he has a show on exhibit.

Whiting Tennis: Tennis' paintings and sculptures often conjure a nostalgia for the historical past. Tennis, who's from Seattle, is also a musician. In Portland, he has exhibited previously at Pulliam Deffenbaugh.

Marie Watt: Her sculptures, wall hangings and works on paper examine the history and meaning of the artist's Native American heritage. Watt, who is of Seneca descent, is the sole Oregonian in the show. She's represented locally by PDX Contemporary Art.